Cardiff motorists hit with £1.8m extra traffic fines in two years

Drivers are concerned councils will install cameras to make more money, said the RAC

The total value of traffic fines issued to motorists in Cardiff has grown by £1.8m in two years, according to figures obtained by the RAC.

A Freedom of Information request found nearly four times as many penalty charge notices (PCNs) were issued in 2018-19 compared with 2016-17.

Total fines went from 19,080 to 74,142.

Cardiff council said the income was used to "support public transport services, off-street parking and highway improvements".

The biggest earning offences for Cardiff were "no turns" - yielding £1.4m, with £826,424 for yellow box junctions and £182,782 for "no-entry" offences.

The increase from 19,080 to 74,142 fines led to a £1.8m hike in revenue.

Councils in London and Cardiff raked in a combined £58.2m from drivers committing moving-traffic offences in just one year, the RAC found.

Moving-traffic offences include yellow box misuse, making an illegal turn and driving the wrong way down a one-way street.

They are the only authorities that currently have the power to enforce these offences in England and Wales.

The Department for Transport confirmed in July it planned to extend these enforcement powers to all councils.

What do people think?

Williams Daymon says the fines are bad for tourism

Williams Daymon, from Bath, received a £60 fine for getting caught in a yellow box on a previous visit to Cardiff, and decided to catch the train this time.

"It's really not good for tourists coming into Cardiff," he said.

"Sometimes you get a bit lost in a new place and it should never happen - it's despicable."

Mark Regan agrees with the principle of fewer cars on the road, but not fines

Mark Regan said that while he wanted to see more people using public transport and fewer cars on the road, "I don't think fines is the right way".

"I don't think it is clear enough because sometimes you find yourself in a box junction and it is totally unavoidable," he added.

"I don't think Cardiff should be one of those cities."

But the RAC said 68% of drivers were concerned councils would "rush to install cameras to generate additional revenue".

Its head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: "It's plain for all to see that London boroughs, Transport for London and Cardiff are generating phenomenal sums of money from the enforcement of moving-traffic offences.

• Police 'hands tied' over lockdown fines

• Drivers caught travelling up to 140mph in lockdown

• Fines for breaching travel restrictions could rise

"The vast majority of drivers we've surveyed agree that those who stop on yellow boxes, make illegal turns or go through 'no-entry' signs need to be penalised, but when it comes to extending powers to other councils many are concerned.

"Four in 10 drivers also believe that road layouts and signage will be made deliberately confusing to increase the number of PCNs issued. Clearly, the priority for enforcement should be to improve road safety and reduce congestion."

A Cardiff council spokesman said: "The income funds the operational cost of parking and enforcement and any surplus or deficit is transferred to a parking reserve account."

He added the parking reserve account had helped the council to provide disabled bays, 20mph zones, safe access to school schemes, highway improvements and bus lanes.